Key Aspects:
- Vision of the Seas will be sailing to Florida and the Bahamas instead of Canada and New England for her September 24, 2026 departure from Baltimore.
- A nor’easter impacting the Atlantic seaboard has caused the itinerary change, as well as a departure delay and the ship will stay overnight in Baltimore before setting sail.
- Pre-paid shore tours for the Canada and New England ports will be automatically cancelled and refunded as credit to guests’ onboard accounts.
Canada and New England cruises in autumn can be a spectacular way to see stunning fall foliage and enjoy cooler temperatures, but guests boarding Vision of the Seas in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, September 24, 2026 will be seeing palm trees and beach weather instead. Due to the storm expected to impact the northeastern US in the coming days, Royal Caribbean has alerted guests to a complete itinerary change.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the development of several weather systems along the path of our originally planned itinerary. Due to unfavorable weather conditions and high winds, we must change our itinerary to ensure a safe and comfortable experience,” the email notification sent to booked guests explained.
“After exploring all our options, we’ve made the difficult decision to replace our Canada and New England itinerary with a Caribbean itinerary.”
Vision of the Seas was originally scheduled to visit Boston, Portland, Saint John, and Halifax on the 9-night cruise. Instead, the ship will now be visiting Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Grand Bahama Island, more than 1,400 miles southwest of the original destinations.
Guests received the email notification the day before embarkation, but Vision of the Seas won’t actually be leaving on Thursday after all. To avoid sailing in the strong winds, the ship will remain overnight in Baltimore and will not depart until 3 p.m. on Friday, September 25.
Saturday and Sunday will be full days at sea, and the 2,050-guest ship will visit Port Canaveral, Florida from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, September 28. The next day the ship will be in Nassau from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesday, September 30, will be spent at Grand Bahama Island from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Two additional full days at sea will follow as Vision of the Seas heads north again, arriving back in Baltimore by 7 a.m. on Saturday, October 3.
The cruise line has confirmed that any pre-paid shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean for the previously planned port visits will be automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. Guests can visit the Shore Excursions desk onboard (portside, midship on Deck 5) to book tours for Port Canaveral, Nassau, or Grand Bahama Island.
Embarkation Delayed
In addition to the itinerary change, Royal Caribbean has noted that embarkation for the September 24 sailing is also delayed and the cruise terminal will not open until 4:30 p.m. All cruise terminal arrival windows have been pushed back 5-5.5 hours to accommodate that change, as Vision of the Seas is late returning to Baltimore due to the nor’easter.
This means if guests had originally selected 11 a.m. as their arrival time, they should now plan to be at the cruise terminal at 4:30 p.m. The latest arrival time is 6:30 p.m., and all guests must be checked in and onboard Vision of the Seas no later than 7 p.m.
Once aboard the ship, guests will not be permitted to debark for activities in Baltimore.
“Going ashore will not be permissible per the CBP [US Customs and Border Protection],” the cruise line explained.
Due to local regulations, the ship’s onboard shops and the Casino Royale must remain closed while Vision of the Seas remains in Baltimore, but other activities, entertainment, and dining will be available as planned and no other onboard operations are impacted.
Nor’easter Storm Update
The powerful nor’easter is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rains, and potential flooding along the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to New England.
According to the National Weather Service, Baltimore is under a hazardous weather advisory that includes a coastal flood warning with a gale watch beginning Friday afternoon, September 25 and continuing through Saturday. At 10 a.m. Thursday morning, September 24, Windy.com shows winds at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay ranging from 35-39 mph.
Because the nor’easter is approaching the area from the south, Vision of the Seas would have to sail right through the strongest region of rough weather if the ship were to depart as planned. By delaying departure, there will be smoother sailing as the ship heads toward Florida and the Bahamas.
Cruise Hive has also recently reported on a nearly complete itinerary change for another Royal Caribbean ship, Navigator of the Seas, departing Los Angeles, California, on Friday, September 25, 2026, which has shuffled her Mexican Riviera schedule due to Hurricane Polo.
